Fireballs with Butterfly Wings: an AU Fanfic
by ddavidrev1
Summary: A butterfly flaps its wings in Ba Sing Se and causes a typhoon to batter Ember Island. A split second during the siege of Ba Sing Se saves Lu Ten's life and changes everything. Meanwhile, forces conspire in the Capital to pit brother against brother. Throwing it all out of balance is the discovery by two Southern Water Tribe siblings of a savior once thought dead a hundred years...
1. Prologue: Come Marching Home

Prologue: Come Marching Home

People often talk of the fog of war. Some see it as a metaphor. Those who do have obviously never fought the Earth Kingdom's finest. After several months of fighting on-and-off, skirmishing, and finally the use of a traitor among the Dai Li (Long Feng covers all the angles) the Fire Nation's Army Group of Firelord Sozin had penetrated the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. For about a week this was considered a victory in and of itself. Now, however, it was all falling apart.

Lu Ten warded off another Earth ring with a jet of fire from his foot, swinging around and kicking an Earth Kingdom soldier in the head. Behind him, another earthbender threw a boulder at him, knocking him off his feet. Springing to his feet, he whirled around and fired a blast of fire at the man's head, which he protected with another boulder, which he then threw at Lu Ten. Lu Ten ducked, and as he came up, while the Earth Kingdom soldier smashed another boulder at another of the 1st Army (who promptly fell, unmoving, his head bent at an unnatural angle) he slashed at him with a Fire Whip, burning him.

What had been the first solo test for General Shi, his father's protégé, had become a disaster. The First Army was to engage General Fong's Earth Kingdom forces and drive them out of the Laogai region. Along the shores of Lake Laogai the two armies engaged each other. The idea had been to use the First Army's superior numbers to form a deeper army than that of Fong, and to use this superior depth to break through Fong's center, and then use the cavalry to drive the right flank of Fong's army toward Lake Laogai, trapping them and forcing Fong's surrender.

This wasn't what happened, however. As General Shi had hoped, General Fong's center buckled and began to curve, like a bow. However, Fong had positioned his elites, the Terra Team, at either flank, and they began to roll up the flanks of the First Army. Meanwhile, the Earth Kingdom Cavalry on the left flank rode around the two armies to engage the Fire Nation cavalry. The Second Cavalry Group, under the command of the Earth Kingdom's Colonel Yi, managed to separate the Fire Nation cavalry from the rest of the Army, driving them away, while the First and Third groups, under the command of Colonels Yansu and Chen, respectively, attacked the First Army's rear. The Fire Nation was trapped.

Lu ten dodged another boulder, rolling and springing to his feet with dual fire whips that were blocked by a Terra Teamer. The Earth Kingdom elite slid his foot along the ground, tugging the ground right out from under Lu Ten. He fell, just as the Earth Kingdomer produced another boulder. He threw it directly at Lu Ten's head.

Suddenly, a jet of fire pushed the boulder out of the way, and it passed by Lu Ten's head, just barely scratching his cheekbone. "Watch yourself, Major!" the man who had just saved Lu Ten's life called. "Thanks, Captain Ji!" Lu Ten called back. Ji frowned. "It's Lieutenant Ji, sir," he replied. Lu Ten grinned: "Not anymore, _Captain_; I'll talk to General Shi after all this is over." Ji returned his grin, buoyed even more now by this impromptu promotion; saving the Firelord's grandson's life has its perks. "Now let's just try and get our sorry asses out of here alive so I _can _talk to General Shi," Lu Ten called.

Just the then ground rumbled beneath their feet. In the distance Lu Ten could see the outlines of more cavalry coming. Fire Nation cavalry. Could this be-? "Care to join the party, Colonel Mongke," Lu Ten called out. The Rough Rhino's CO grinned. "Sorry kid, but we're here to clear the road. Your dad says to get all ya outta here before old Fongy kills you all," Mongke called back. Just then, over the din, a horn sounded, calling for a retreat. The tattered remains of the First army streamed through the gap created by the Rough Rhinos, as they held General Fong's forces at a distance, giving the First Army time to escape.

Iroh stood up as Lu Ten walked into his tent. "Sir, I would li-" he got out, before Iroh enveloped his son in a massive platypus-bear hug. Lu Ten gasped, surprised. "My son," the Fire Nation General of Armies murmured. "I was so worried." He released his son. Lu Ten straightened up again. "I have a candidate for promotion I would like to present to General Shi," he said. A shadow crossed Iroh's face. "General Shi is dead," Iroh said. Lu Ten started "Dead?" he asked. Iroh sighed. "General Shi led his men into the greatest disaster the Fire Nation has seen in living memory. Less than a fifth of his men, you included, escaped with their lives from the Battle at Lake Laogai. If the Rough Rhinos hadn't abandoned the cavalry to their fate, and opened up that gap, you all likely would have been killed. As it was, 45,000 men were killed, including all the cavalry. The First Army is finished. A little bit more than 7,000 of you remain. General Shi didn't want to live after this disgrace."

Lu Ten looked gravely. "What'll happen now?" he asked. Iroh considered. "The First and Second Armies will be combined into a new First Army. You will be placed under the command of General Tazu. We'll have to pull back from the Dunsai hills; we don't have enough men to hold them anymore. Effectively we'll hold the breakthrough and the Bonzu Plain and that's it." Iroh shook his head. "I won't mince words about how bad the situation is. The Siege may succeed yet, but this won't be the 'home before Winter Solstice' campaign we all expected it to be." Lu Ten nodded.

"Now then," Iroh began, "Sit down, my son. Have some tea. You tell me there's a young man who you think deserves a promotion?" Lu ten smiled, and explained not only how Lieutenant Ji saved his life, but other moments where Ji had shown merit throughout the campaign.

* * *

Hey it's me. Just wanted to let you know reviews are welcome. Please send a messenger hawk to Whale Tail Island. Also any corrections and proofreads are desired as well. Seeya.


	2. Book I: Water Chapter 1

Their canoe glided peacefully between the ice floes as they traveled in search of food. Sokka stared down into the water, hoping to catch a glimpse of movement. Finally, he sees it: the fish he's been waiting for. "It's not getting away from me this time," he says. He raises his spear: "Watch and learn, Katara," he says, grinning. His sister is unimpressed. On her side of the canoe, she also sees a glimpse of movement. Carefully, she removes her glove and waterbended the fish out of the water. The fish soars over her head, just as Sokka strikes with his spear. "Oh, so close," he says, as the fish gets away. He turns. "Don't let Master Yanook see you doing that." Katara snorted "Yanook? Who cares? 'The ways of waterbending are not for women to learn,'" she imitated. She tossed her head derisively. "If he thinks I'm gonna be a magic nurse and stand by and let the men fight for me, he has something else coming."

Sokka scowled. "And Armonak, that warrior they left with us? If he calls me kiddo one more time, I swear I'll smear myself in seal jerky and run to the nearest penguin-wolf den. I mean, he treats me like I'm ten years old!" Katara stood up in the canoe, shaking her head. "And that healer, Senraq? I have never before, met someone so patronizing, narrow-minded, and set in her ways, ever!" She brought her hands down with each word, making waves in the water. "Katara-" Sokka tried to say warningly. Katara ignored him. "I swear, those Northern Water Tribespeople is the most sexist, patriarchal, arrogant people I've ever. seen." Now chips of ice were falling from the iceberg, and a large crack had appeared. "Katara!" Sokka said again, once more to no avail. "And have you seen how Armonak looks at me? It's like he's looking at a piece of meat! I swear the Northern Water Tribespeople were the worst thing to happen to our tribe, ever!" At this last word, a deafening roar sounded behind her. The crack in the iceberg widened and spread, until the entire structure was webbed with cracks. Pieces of ice ranging from the size of a pebble to the size of their canoe fell unto the water as the iceberg collapsed. Finally, the entire thing fell into the sea, a wave pushing them back onto the icepack.

Sokka stared at the spot where the iceberg once was. "Okay. Every time I sided with Yanook about girls being weaker waterbenders? I take that back." Katara stared too. "I did that?" "Yeah. Congratulations," Sokka answered.

Just then the water beneath them glowed blue. From below the waves, a large, round iceberg emerged. Katara inches forward, while Sokka tries to hold her back. Within the iceberg, it appears, was a boy. Perched in a lotus position, the boy sat there, an arrow on his head glowing. Suddenly, the boy opened his eyes, which glowed just as the arrow did. Katara looked on in shock "He's alive! We have to help him!" she says, grabbing Sokka's club and running to the boy. Sokka erred on the side of caution "Katara, wait!" he shouted, bolting after her nonetheless. Katara brought the club down on the ice, smashing away part of the ice. Just then, the ice shattered, and a beam of blue light shot up into the air.

* * *

The ship rocked gently in the cold Antarctic seas. Onboard, Prince Zuko and Princess Azula practiced firebending. Zuko punched two balls of fire at Azula. She ducked, rolling and swinging her feet around as she did so, shooting fire out of them. Zuko jumped to dodge them, and Azula shot off a burst of fire at hum. He crossed his arms, blocking it, and landed, kicking another fireball at her, which she dodged, while punching her own fireball at him, which he jumped back to dodge, the fireball passing an inch from his face. "Good, Azula, make him react to you." Lo said. "Zuko, how many times do I have to tell you? Fire comes from the breath, not the muscles," said Li. Azula smirked. "This duel is at an end," Lo and Li said in unison. Zuko and Azula faced each other, bowing. Zuko walked to the railing behind Lo and Li. He gazed across the frozen landscape.

Suddenly, the sky was split by a column of blue light. Zuko started. "Azula, look!" He said. Azula turned. "Yes, the celestial lights are lovely this time of year, aren't they," she said disinterestedly, flicking a piece of ash off her shoulder. Zuko insisted: "That isn't the celestial lights, that light must come from an immensely powerful source, it has to be him!" Azula snorted. "Zuko," she said patiently, "dad sent us on this wild goose chase to get us out of the capital; he' planning something, and if it fails he doesn't want us implicated. That is the only reason we're even in this icebox." Zuko strode across the deck, ignoring her. "Helmsman!" he called "set a course for the light." Azula rolled her eyes. "If you insist," she said, "but when you don't find anything, don't blame me."

* * *

The boy stood up. Sokka and Katara stood back in awe, as the boy's arrows and eyes stop glowing, and he fell to the ground. Katara rushed forward, while Sokka approached more cautiously. Katara caught him in her arms, as Sokka pokes him with the blunt end of his spear. In a weak voice, the boy spoke: "I need to ask you something." "What?" Katara said urgently. He spoke again: "Please... come closer." Katara leaned in, curious: "What?" The boy was silent for a moment. Then: "Will you go penguin sledding?" he said brightly

Katara started. "Uh, yeah, okay," she said uncertainly. The boy rose to his feet in one, quick motion, taking both of them by surprise. He looked around. "What's going on here," he asked. Sokka narrowed his eyes: "You tell us. How did you get in the iceberg? And why aren't you frozen?" With this he poked the boy again with the blunt end of his spear. The boy pushed the spear away. "I- I don't know," he said, shaking his head.

A low rumbling noise sounded behind them. A large, furry creature with the same arrow marking as on the boy's head emerged from the snow bank. The boy scrambled up the snow bank, climbing onto the creature's head. "Appa, are you alright?" he said. "Wake up, buddy," he added, looking into the beast's eyes, which are closed. He opened one eye, which immediately closed. Jumping down from the beast, he tried to lift its massive head.

Sokka and Katara climbed over the edge of the snow bank just as the beast. Appa finally woke up, licking the boy with its giant tongue. The boy laughed. "You are okay!" he said, hugging the beast's nose. "What is that thing?" Sokka asked. "This is Appa, my flying bison," the boy said. Sokka snorted "Right, and this is Katara, my flying sister," he said. Katara shot him a look. Just then, the beast- or- bison, breathed in. It sneezed, drenching Sokka in green slime. "Don't worry, It'll wash out," the boy said cheerfully. "So, do you guys live around here?" he asked, looking around at the icy landscape. Sokka narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Don't answer that," he said to Katara, eying the boy suspiciously. "He could have been signaling the Fire Nation with that light." Katara snorted. "Oh, sure, you can see it in that evil look in his eye." The boy grinned sheepishly. "His Paranoia over there is by brother Sokka. So, I don't think you told us your name?"

The boy grinned. "I'm A-a-achoo!" The boy sneezed, flying up into the air. He fell back down, slowing his fall. "I'm Aang" Sokka looked on in shock. "You just sneezed, he said, "And flew ten feet in the air!" Aang looked unabashed. "Really?" he said, puzzled "I thought it was higher than that." Katara pieced it together: "You're an airbender!" she said. Aang grinned "Sure am," he said. "Sokka shook his head, "Flying bison, giant light beams, airbenders... I think I've got midnight sun madness. I'm going where things make sense." He strode over to the edge of the ice floe, the stopped, seeing that the canoe had been smashed.

"If you guys need a ride, Appa can take you," Aang said, airbending himself on top of Appa. "We'd love to," Katara said, running over and climbing into Appa's saddle. Sokka crossed his arms: "No way am I riding on that fluffy snot monster!" he objected. Katara rolled her eyes: 'Are you expecting some other kind of monster to bring you home?" Sokka opened his mouth to say something, then, unable to come up with a response, closes his mouth and climbs on.

Aang grinned: "Okay, first time fliers, hold on tight. Appa, yip-yip!" With that, the bison bounded to the edge of the water, leapt into the air- and fell back down to the water, where he paddled lazily along in the water. Aang, unabashed, tugged at the reigns. "Come on, Appa, yip-yip!" Sokka snorted: "Wow, that was truly amazing." Katara shot her brother a glare. Aang was undeterred. "Appa's just tired; a little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky." Katara smiled at Aang, who returned the gesture.

Katara glanced back at Sokka, who was still fuming. When she looked back, she saw that Aang was still smiling. "Why are you smiling at me?" she asked Aang started. "Oh, I was smiling at you?" he asked, sheepishly. Sokka groaned theatrically, which Katara answered with a glare. All the while, Appa trundled along, paddling through the cold sea.

* * *

Zuko stood at the helm of the ship, staring into the distance. Azula approached him from behind. She stretched and yawned. "Well, I'm off to bed," she said. "You should do the same." Zuko stood unmoving. Azula shrugged. "Suit yourself. We're not gonna find anything anyway." Zuko spoke: "You said Father was planning something. What do you mean?" Azula shrugged "Isn't it obvious?" she said "Dad thinks, and I agree completely, that Uncle is a tired old fuddy-duddy who has no more ambition. You saw the way he's been after the siege. 1000 days and what does he have to show for it? A bunch of burned countryside, a quarter of a million dead, and no Ba Sing Se. Now he's all about 'consolidating what we have'. It's because he's tired. Let's face it: Grandfather is old, and he may not last much longer. And when he does die, Dad thinks the Fire Nation need someone ambitious at the helm; not somebody who stopped campaigning to collect antiques." Zuko turned. "You're wrong. Father would never usurp Uncle's position," he said angrily. Azula shrugged "Believe whatever you want. Personally I'd much rather have Dad as Firelord than His Tea-Loving Kookiness." An image of a burning doll flashed through Zuko's mind. He turned, staring out at the Antarctic sun, now near the horizon

* * *

_Appa continued to swim lazily through the water. Aang lay down on Appa's head, arms tucked beneath his head. Katara moved to the front of the saddle, placing her head in her hand. Aang turned to her "Whatcha thinkin' about?" he asked. Katara thought for a moment. "I was just wondering, you being an airbender and all, if you knew what happened to the Avatar." Aang hesitated. Oh, no, I didn't know him. I mean, I knew people who knew him, but I didn't know him." He smiled weakly. Katara frowned: "Oh, okay. Well, good night." "Good night," Aang answered, curling himself up in a ball, hiding the guilty look on his face._

_Aang slept on Appa's saddle while a storm brooded ahead of him. Lightning split the sky and the rumble of the following thunders awakened him. He shot up and looked around._

_It was raining and Aang sat on Appa's head again, holding the reins and screaming at the top of his lungs in terror while they went down. Appa and Aang splashed into the waters of the ocean. Appa resurfaced again, growled, but was then quickly succumbed again by another wave. Both Aang and Appa drifted unconscious in the water. As Aang released the reins and drifted off, his eyes and tattoos suddenly started to glow brightly. He slammed his fists together, creating a bluish-white sphere that encased Appa and himself. The air sphere was slowly being covered by ice while suddenly a voice echoed through the dream._

"Aang? Aang! Wake up!" Aang shot up, throwing the covers off his body, gasping for air. Katara perched beside him to see if he was awake. "It's okay, Aang, we're in the village, now. Come on, get ready!" Katara pointed at the door. "Everyone's waiting to see you." Aang pulled his shirt on, as Katara glanced at the arrow tattoos that ran down his arms.

Katara led Aang out of the hut. A large group of people, mostly women and children, stood before him. A little to the side stood a middle-aged woman and two young men. Katara gestured: "Aang, this is the entire village. Entire village, Aang." Their eyes were all fixed on Aang. "Uh, why are they all staring at me?" he said uncomfortably "Did Aapa sneeze on me?" An elderly woman spoke: "None of us have ever seen an air nomad before. We thought that they were extinct, until my granddaughter and grandson brought you." Aang started. "Extinct?" he said, surprised. Katara gestured at the women "Aang, this is my grandmother." The old woman shrugged. "Call me Gran-Gran."

One of the young men strode forward. He grabbed Aang's staff. "What is this, some kind of weapon? A bludgeon of some sort?" Katara rolled her eyes and explained. "Aang, this is Armonak. He, Yanook, and Senraq came here from our sister tribe." Aang bowed politely to each in turn. The woman, Senraq, returned his bow. The other two didn't. When he came to Armonak, he took his staff back. "And to answer your question, it's not a weapon. It's a glider." He twirled it and opened the wings, to cheers from the village children. "Magic trick, do it again!" one of them said. Aang laughed. "Not magic, airbending. It lets me control the air currents and fly." The shorter, stockier man, presumably Yanook, laughed. "That's impossible. Humans can't fly," he said. Senraq shot him a warning look. Aang grinned. "With all due respect sir, prepare to eat those words."

He held the glider above his head, pushing off with his feet. He soared into the air, doing loops in the air. The villagers were awed. "He's flying," one of them said. "It's amazing!" another said. Aang returned to the ground, flourishing his staff and closing the wings, as the villager applauded. Senraq smiled. "Most impressive, young airbender," she said, bowing slightly. Aang returned the courtesy. The Northern Water Tribeswoman turned to Katara. "Alright, playtime's over, it's time for another healing lesson," she said. "You're a healer?" Aang said to Katara. Katara blushed. "Well, sort of. I'm still learning." Aang grinned. "The monks always said that healing was an important job." Katara shrugged. "It's great, but," she looked over at Yanook, who was currently patching up the village's walls, "what I'd really like to do is learn some serious waterbending. I've been watching Yanook and going out into the wilderness to waterbend every chance I get, but it'd really help to have some kind of training."

"Why can't you?" Aang asked, puzzled. From what he'd seen Katara would be more than competent. Katara scowled. "Because of the stupid customs of the Northern Water Tribe. 'Women lack the mental maturity to handle such a difficult and dangerous art' Yanook says. It's all a load of pelican-tern guano if you ask me." Aang frowned. "The monks always told me that gender didn't matter. With us men and women are treated equally; we taught anyone who could airbend" A shadow seemed to cross Katara's face, but Aang supposed he had imagined it, as it was gone as quickly as it appeared. "Yeah, that makes much more sense," Katara said. But even then she seemed hesitant, though Aang didn't know why. He shrugged, as Katara went off for her healing lesson with Senraq, the Northern Water Tribe healer waving her over.

* * *

Zuko leaned forward against the railing, staring out over the ocean. As the midnight sun descended to the horizon, nearly but not quite setting, he continued to dwell on what Azula had said. The fact of the matter was that despite his protests to the contrary, there was a glimmer of truth to what she had said. Iroh was tired. He had lost the fire that he had before. He had grown introverted, quiet.

_Zuko stood at attention, looking out at the massed people. Grandfather sat on the throne at the head of the steps in front of the Palace. To his right stood Ozai, along with Zuko, Azula, and Ursa. The palanquin carrying Lu Ten and Iroh made its way along the ceremonial avenue. Finally, at the foot of the steps, it stopped. From there, Lu Ten and Iroh walked up the steps toward Azulon. As they neared, Zuko stifled a gasp. Lines crisscrossed Iroh's face where none had before. His hair, once black flecked with gray, had turned completely gray. Lu Ten had changed as well. The full face that he had known was now thinner, the last traces of baby fat wiped away. He had grown a short beard since Zuko had last seen him. In short, to Zuko's 13-year-old eyes, Lu Ten now seemed closer to his father in age than to him. The Chief Fire Sage announced the return of the Crown Prince, and Prince Lu Ten. Azulon made all the necessary speeches about having smashed the Earth Kingdom's best troops, having allowed the Fire Nation to advance hundreds of miles as the Earth Kingdom's army fell back to protect Ba Sing Se, everything needed to turn a defeat into a victory, at least for the propagandists._

_Zuko stood behind a pillar, hiding as the door of the Great Hall opened and Lu Ten strode out. Up close, it was even more apparent that his twenty-three years seemed closer to thirty than twenty after the Thousand Days. "What happened?" Zuko asked, as Lu Ten leaned against the wall, slumped forward. Lu Ten sighed. "Grandfather isn't pleased at your Uncle's failure to capture Ba Sing Se. He says he won't name an heir until he writes his will." Zuko's cousin, who he hero-worshipped, smiled sadly. "Who knows? You may end up inheriting the throne, for all we know." Zuko stared, horrified at his cousin's weariness. "I'd rather go blind in one eye than take your place!" he exclaimed. Lu Ten genuinely smiled at that. "I don't think you have to worry about going blind in one eye," he said, laughing. "There is some good news, though," he said. "What?" Zuko asked. Lu Ten grinned. "You know that girl you complained I spent every waking hour with before I left?" Lu Ten asked. "Asami?" Zuko answered. Lu Ten nodded "I asked Admiral Kaizan, and he gave me permission to ask her to marry me." Zuko gaped. "You and Asami?" he asked. Lu Ten grinned, and suddenly didn't seem so old after all._

_Zuko stood next to Lu Ten in the Great Hall. The assembled nobles and military men stood and watched, as all eyes were on the door. Finally, it opened, and Asami walked arm in arm with Admiral Kaizan down the aisle. Lu Ten, in his army uniform, smiled as Asami stopped next to him, as servant girls carried the long gold train of her dress behind her. The Chief Fire Sage strode to the front, facing the guests. After giving the traditional speech about why they were gathered there, and the traditional reading from the Fire Scrolls, he turned to Lu Ten and Asami. He read their vows, all the traditional words about loving, holding, and cherishing, about sickness and health and all that. Lu Ten and Asami had decided this would be a modern wedding, so Asami's vows didn't include the phrase "to obey," like Mother's and his late Aunt Lu Han's did. Finally, the Fire Sage finished, pronouncing them married, and finishing by addressing the crowd. "All hail Prince Lu Ten and Princess Asami," he said, as all except Father, Uncle, Mother, and Grandfather bowed._

Zuko smiled at that last memory, looking out to the horizon, where somewhere, the Avatar was hiding...

* * *

Sokka and Armonak stood facing one another. Sokka narrowed his eyes He held his club at the ready, poised to strike. At once, they both lunged at each other. Sokka ducked as Armonak swung his club at Sokka's head, Sokka rolling and trying to kick Armonak's feet out from under him. Armonak dodged, jumping back as Sokka sprang to his feet, smashing into Armonak, who fell, rolling and springing back on the balls of his feet, holding his club above his head Sokka ducked and twisted to the side, jabbing Armonak with the blunt end of his club, Armonak grunted in pain; if this had been a real fight he would likely now be nursing a broken rib. He swung his club at Sokka. Sokka parried it with his club, hooking the ball at the end of his onto the same at the end of Armonak's and yanking it out of his hand. "Looks like I win," Sokka said.

Just then, Katara approached. "Have you seen Aang? I haven't seen him since this morning" Sokka shook his head. Just then, Armonak tackled him from behind. "Hey, no fair!" Sokka protested, shaking his head to get the snow off. Armonak grinned. "A fire nation won't stop fighting just 'cause they're disarmed" Sokka scowled, getting up. Just then, Aang poked his head out of the outhouse. "Wow, everything freezes in there!" he said. All children within earshot (and Armonak) laughed. From behind them, a delighted squeal was heard as several children had turned Appa's tail. Sokka scowled. "We don't have time for nonsense like this! Not with a war going on!" Aang looked puzzled. "War? What war?" he said. Armonak snorted. "What do you mean 'what war'?"

Aang opened his mouth to say something, then turned, spotting something out of the corner of his eye. A delighted look spread across his face. "Penguin!" he called, and he ran over to the otter-penguin. Sokka looked at Armonak. "He's kidding, right?" he said. Armonak shrugged. Katara followed Aang.

* * *

She found him not far from the village, where hundreds of penguins had gathered. Aang crept up behind one of the penguins. "Aang?" she said. "Here, little penguin, wanna go sledding?" he asked the penguin, finally lunging for it. The penguin squawked, waddling out of his grasp. Aang laughed as he pulled himself up. "I have a way with animals," he said. Katara laughed. "Listen closely, my young pupil," she said, imitating Senraq's lofty teaching style, "Penguin sledding is an ancient and sacred art." She tossed Aang a fish. He looked at it, puzzled, just as the nearby penguins swarmed around him. She, too, holds out a fish, until at last one penguin is within striking distance. She lunges forward, just as Aang does the same. They soared through the air for a moment before landing on the slope and continuing their journey downwards. They raced down, Aang using another iceberg as a ramp to propel him into air and to soar over and past Katara. She in turn used the next jump to land next to Aang again. The two laughed and shouted out as they gleefully rode over snowy bumps. "I haven't had this much fun since I was a kid!" Katara exclaimed, gleefully. "You still are a kid!" Aang said, shouting to be heard over the wind rushing through their ears. The two rode through a tunnel of ice. Katara led and tried to hold Aang back by constantly changing her direction when he wanted to pass her. Aang solved this problem by increasing his speed with airbending, enabling him to race over the ceiling past Katara. The tunnel leveled out on an open plain of ice where the two got off their rides.

Aang looked up. Above them was a huge, dark mass, towering over the icy plain. A massive ship hovered over them, propped up on a pillar of ice. The conning tower, it seemed, still flew the Fire nation flag, and below that another flag Aang hadn't seen before: a red pennant with a black, stylized sea raven on it. "Whoa," Aang said, awed, "What is that?" Katara scowled. "A Fire Navy ship, and a very bad memory for my people." Aang cautiously began to approach the ship. "No, Aang, stop! We're not supposed to go in there! It could be booby-trapped!" Aang looked over his shoulder, a reckless look on his face. "When you're a bender, you have to let go of fear." Katara pondered this, then took off after him.

They climbed up over ice and snow, clambering over the railing onto the deck. From there they walked through the corridors of the ship, made dark and menacing by the lack of light. They entered one room that was full of weapons. Katara spoke, her voice echoing through the room. "This ship has haunted my tribe since Gran-Gran was a little girl. It was part of the first Fire Nation raids on our tribe."

Aang spread his hands in confusion. "Wait, back up. I have friends from all over the world, including the fire nation. My friend Kuzon and I would get into all kinds of trouble." He picked up a spear, inspecting it. "I've never heard of any war." Katara looked puzzled. "How long were you in the iceberg?" she asked. Aang shrugged. "I don't know, a few days maybe?" Katara spoke cautiously. "I think it was more like a hundred years." Aang stopped. "A hundred years? That's not possible! Do I look like a hundred-and-twelve-year-old man to you?" Katara chose her words carefully. "Think about it. The War is a hundred years old. You've never heard of it. It's the only explanation." Aang slumped onto the bulkhead. "A hundred years? I don't believe it." He then brightened up a little. "At least I met you." Katara smiled.

They walked a little way down the corridor, into what looked like the bridge. Aang stepped across the threshold. Suddenly, he tripped, pulling with him a tripwire. The door of the bridge slammed shut with a clang, and they were plunged into semidarkness. "What did you say about booby-traps?" Aang said, peering through the bars of the window. Abruptly, a roaring sound was heard as the engine of the ship started up again. In shock, Katara and Aang stared at the movement of the gears and engine. They jumped as a loud bang sounded behind them. Looking through a hole in the ceiling, they saw a flare light up the summer sky. "Come on," Aang said. Katara grabbed hold of Aang, and he airbended them out of the hole, flying up into the air.

* * *

Aboard another Fire Navy ship, Zuko watched the Avatar and a companion fly through the air, down the conning tower, onto the deck. "The Last Airbender," he murmured. Quite agile for his advanced age." He turned to Azula. "Still think it's nothing?" he said smugly. Azula's expression was unreadable, although her eyes flashed with annoyance at being proven wrong by her brother. Zuko watched as they clambered down to the ground and walked away. "We've finally found the Avatar!" He peered through the spyglass, at the Southern Water Tribe village the two headed toward. "And his hiding place."

* * *

The story begins! Please, review! Free Fire Flakes for everyone who does, courtesy of Kuang's Cuisine. Send review to 2241 West Fire Lily Street, NoAvAang District, Republic City, 32104


	3. Chapter 2, the Avatar Returns

Chapter 2: The Avatar Returns

Aang and Katara walked back from the Ship, the flare illuminating the twilit sky behind them. The villagers, along with the three Northern transplants, stood watching as they approached. The children appeared overjoyed at their return. "Yay, Aang's back!" one of them squealed. Some of the children ran to Aang in excitement, while others stood there with the adults, cheerfully. The adults, however, did not appear so overjoyed.

Sokka stepped forward. "I knew it!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger at Aang. "You signaled the Fire Nation with that flare! You're leading them here!" Katara shook her head angrily. "Sokka, you're being stupid! It was an accident!" Armonak tried to step into the conflict. "Now, everybody calm down. Aang, what happened?"

Aang shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. "Well... We were on the ship and there were booby traps and... We just boobied right into it." Gran-Gran spoke. "Katara that was foolish. You shouldn't have gone on that ship; now we could all be in danger."

"Don't blame Katara," Aang, replied, rubbing his head, "I talked her into it".

"The traitor confesses!" Sokka said. Senraq held up a hand. "Now, Sokka, let's not get too hasty. As an airbender he has little reason to love the Fire Nation. I'm sure it was just an accident."

"That doesn't matter!" Sokka said, "I don't care if it was an accident, the fact of the matter is that it happened! He has to go!"

"Sokka, you're being stupid-" Katara said, but Sokka cut her off, "No, I'm keeping my promise to Dad!" he said. "I'm protecting us from threats like him!"

"Aang isn't a threat!" Katara said. "He's given us one thing we haven't had in a _long _time: fun!" Sokka shook his head. "You can't fight firebenders with fun!" he said.

"ENOUGH!" Yanook exclaimed, bringing his fist down hard and cracking the ice in front of them. "Now the," he said, as everyone fell silent. "While the airbender's intentions appear to be entirely innocent, the fact remains that both he and Katara were highly irresponsible. They both may have put us all in danger." he looked from Aang to Katara then from Sokka, to Senraq, to Armonak, and to Gran-Gran. "Personally, I agree it would be safest if the airbender leaves."

"That would be best," Gran-Gran said. Armonak nodded. Senraq considered it for a moment. "I'm sorry, Katara, but I really think it would be best for Aang to return home," she said sadly.

Katara opened her mouth to protest, but Aang cut her off. "It's okay, Katara," he said. I'll go. I don't want to put anyone in danger here."

"Where will you go?" Katara asked. Aang considered this for a moment. "I guess I'll go back to the Southern Air Temple," he said. He smiled weakly. "Wow. I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years," he said, in a weak attempt at a joke. Once again, a shadow crossed Katara's face for a moment, but just as Aang noticed it, it was gone. He continued. "And maybe sometime you could visit there. I'm sure the monks wouldn't mind." Sokka looked about to say something, but Gran-Gran shut him up with a look.

A small girl ran up to Aang. "Aang, don't go; we'll miss you," she said, staring up at Aang. He smiled sadly. "I'll miss you, too" He pulled himself up onto Appa's back. "Come on, Appa, yip-yip!" Yet Appa still wouldn't fly, and instead merely plodded across the icy plains. Ignoring Sokka's jeers, Aang disappeared over the hills beside the village.

* * *

Aang and Appa rested on a hill. They had been traveling for about an hour when they came to rest. Aang looked morosely over the hills towards the village. Behind him, Appa grumbled. "Yeah, I liked her, too." Aang said. He saw something out of the corner of his eye. He jumped, as he saw a large, black ship, like the one he'd seen before, steaming towards the village. He gasped. "Katara!" he exclaimed.

* * *

The sight of the smoke from the Fire Nation ship had sent the village into a frenzy of activity. Yanook was busy at work strengthening the walls of the village, as Sokka and Armonak had both retreated into their tents to ready for battle. That left Katara without much to do. And so she stood on the wall, staring out at the foggy sea. She heard a noise behind her. Senraq stood beside her. "It's always like this," she said, "always this silent before a battle. Like the fact that death is approaching muffles all other sound." Katara glanced at her sideways. "Come," Senraq said, "We need to get ready."

* * *

Sokka and Armonak stood atop the wall, gazing across the foggy seas. Below them, a mother, tying up her son's parka gasped as a rumbling noise cut across the village. The villagers stood up, as a dark mass loomed ahead in the fog. Everyone ran away from the ship, as Sokka and Armonak both stood and faced the ship. Beneath their feet, the wall began cracking and chunks of ice fell off. The ship plowed through the ice shelf, ripping it apart effortlessly. A large crack preceded it, tearing the wall in half and continuing through the village. As everyone ran, a small boy slipped and fell. The crack continued, and just as the boy was about to fall into the freezing cold Antarctic sea, Katara grabbed him. The section of the wall Armonak and Sokka were standing on collapsed, as they slid down the pile of snow.

The ship came to a stop, a hydraulic whine cutting across the silence as the bow of the ship was lowered. Sokka and Armonak stood at the bow, as Yanook joined them. From the ramp, six fire nation soldiers descended. In front of them, wearing more elaborate armor, were two other figures that Sokka realized weren't that much older than he and Katara. At the foot of the ramp, the eight figures came to a halt.

"Well," the boy said without preamble "where is he." As nobody answered, he suddenly lashed out, roughly grabbing Gran-Gran by the hood of her parka and pulling him toward him. "He'll be about her age, master of all four elements?" "Zuzu, patience," the girl said, "We're here for the Avatar," she told the villagers. "Don't deny he's here; we saw him leap across the old ship not a few hours ago. Hand him over and nobody gets hurt." With this the boy let Gran-Gran go, pushing her to the ground. Katara helped her up and stood in front of her.

Sokka turned to her. "The ship? Do they mean _Aang?" _he asked quietly. "I don't know," Katara replied, "What are we going to do?"

"We'll think of something," Sokka said. He strode over to the Fire Nation soldiers. "We have no idea what you're talking about. The Avatar has been dead a hundred years. He's a myth. A fable. You're wasting time here. Leave us."

"You speak boldly, peasant," the girl said. "Perhaps too boldly. Zuko, I think it's time we taught these peasants how to speak to their betters." With that, she lashed out, throwing a fireball at one of the igloos, causing it to collapse. "I agree," the boy, apparently Zuko, said. He also shot a jet of fire at another house in the village, only to have Yanook block it with a mound of watebent snow. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that," he said.

With that Yanook shot a jet of water at the girl, who blocked it with a jet of fire from her foot. Sokka, meanwhile, brought down his club on Zuko's head, as Zuko diverted it with a swing of his armored arm. The girl then shot a jet of fire at Sokka, which he ducked, as Armonak caught the end of his club on the collar of Zuko's armor, pulling him down, as the girl kicked Armonak over, causing him to lose his club. Armonak then charged, grabbing the spear thrown to him by Sokka. Zuko turned at the sound of Armonak's charge, shooting a jet of fire that was blocked by Yanook, while Sokka brought his club down on Zuko's head, as Zuko leapt aside barely in time, still taking a painful hit to his shoulder. Zuko leapt up from the ground, shooting a jet of fire as he did so, which hit Yanook squarely in the back as he attempted to ward of an attack by the girl. He fell to the ground painfully, while meanwhile Zuko's leap up was interrupted by a swing from Armonak's retrieved club. Armonak raised his club for a killing blow-

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the girl said. Armonak and Sokka turned. The girl stood in front of the villagers. With one arm she restrained Gran-Gran holding her arms behind her back. From her other hand emitted a dagger of flame, pressed against Gran-Gran's neck. "This has gone on long enough," she said. "Give us the Avatar, and nobody gets hurt." Katara rushed to the front of the crowd, only to be restrained by Senraq. "We don't have the Avatar," Armonak said. The girl smiled. "Well then. I had hoped you'd be more cooperative, but, if you must..." She smiled blandly, as the dagger of fire in her hand grew hotter and hotter-

"Stop!" Somebody yelled, and everyone turned. Aang, flying on his glider, came to a halt and landed in front of the girl and Zuko. The girl laughed. "Now who might you be?" she asked. Aang hung his head. "I'm the Avatar." This news was greeted by gasps among the villagers. "Aang?" Katara murmured. The girl snorted. "That's impossible," she said, "the Avatar disappeared a hundred years ago. You'd be older than her if you were him," she said, indicating Gran-Gran. "Are there any other airbenders around here?" he asked. The girl considered. "Fair enough. Tell you what; we'll leave this village in peace if you come with us." Aang nodded in agreement. "No!" Katara shouted, breaking free of Senraq's grip, "Don't do this!" Aang smiled sadly. "It'll be okay, Katara. Don't worry." He paused, attempting to smile. "Take care of Aapa for me." Zuko pushed Aang along, onto the ramp leading up to the ship. "Set a course for the Fire Nation," he said, "We're going home."

Zuko and the girl led Aang up the ramp onto the ship. Katara watched as they took him away, tears in her eyes. With a hiss, and a cloud of steam, the ramp rose, blocking Aang from view. The engine of the ship started up again, as the screws turned in reverse, pulling the ship out of the ice. Behind a cloud of steam, the ship shrank to a distant shape on the horizon, as the ship receded.

* * *

Katara was a flurry of activity. "We have to go after him," she said. Behind her, Sokka loaded the canoe. Misjudging his lack of a response as hostility, she turned angrily. "Can't you see," she insisted, "Aang was only trying to help us. If he is the Avatar, it's our duty to help him." Sokka attempted to speak, but Katara cut him off. "I know you don't like him, but we have to help him. We have to-"

"Katara," Sokka said, cutting her off, "are you coming with me or not?" She faced him, finally noticing the canoe loaded with supplies.

"Where do you think you're going?" a voice behind them asked. Gran-Gran and Senraq stood behind them. Gran-Gran held out a bundle. "You'll need these." Inside were their sleeping bags, along with some old Earth Kingdom money Gran-Gran had boxed away, and some seal jerky. "It's been a long time since I had hope, but you brought it back, my little waterbender." She turned to Sokka. "And you, my brave warrior." She embraced both of them. After she let go, Senraq spoke to Katara, smiling. "I know you think I'm a prematurely old fuddy-duddy, and that I'm so hide-bound that I can't see any other possibility other than that set out by my people's customs. I know you think I'm like Armonak and Yanook: that I'm only here because I offended somebody back home. But I did ask to come here. I want to help our sister tribe." She laughed, "And I can see that you're destined to be something much more than a 'magic nurse.'" Katara grinned. "You two have a long journey ahead of you," Gran-Gran said "Aang is the Avatar; he's the world's only hope for peace. Fate dictated that you find him. Now your destinies are intertwined."

Sokka looked down at the channel the ship gouged out. "There's no way we're catching a warship on a canoe," he said. Just then, a low rumbling noise from behind startled them. "Appa!" Katara exclaimed. Sokka looked dubiously at the flying bison. "You just love putting me out of my comfort zone, don't you," he said exhaustedly

* * *

Zuko watched as the village receded. He held Aang's staff in his hands. He turned to the Azula. "This will make an excellent gift for Uncle. You know he likes antiques" He held out the staff to Lo, or maybe Li. "Take this to my quarters," he ordered. She took it, handing it to a fire navy sailor "Take this to Prince Zuko's quarters," she ordered him. He took it, and walked away.

The two fire navy sailors led Aang down the stairs. He looked from one to the other. Thinking fast, he looked up at one. "Bet you've never seen an airbender before, have you?" he said. "Silence," one said. Aang breathed deeply in. He blew hard, airbending as he did so, throwing his two guards against the wall. He bolted up the stairs, hands still tied behind his back. He ran from room to room, looking for his staff. In one room, he found a spear which he used to cut the ropes binding him. He looked to the last room at the end of the hall. In it, he saw his staff. Looking behind him to see he isn't followed, he walked in and picked it up.

Suddenly, the door closed behind him. He whirled around to see what it was. Before him, the girl from before stood, blocking the exit. "Well hello there, Avatar."

* * *

Sokka stared out boredly across the ice-choked seas. He glanced up at Katara, who was sitting on Appa's head. "Go. Fly," he said boredly. Katara stroked Appa's head. "Please Aapa. We need you to fly. We can't get to Aang in the water. _Aang needs you" _"Up. Ascend," Sokka said blandly, stretching out on Appa's saddle. "I know Sokka thinks you can't do it, but _I do_. We need you to fly so we can save Aang." Sokka sat up. "Didn't Aang have something he said to this thing? Yaa-hoo? Yee-ha?" he thought for a moment. "Yip-yip?"

And at that the beast gave a great roar and pushed off with his massive tail. After what appeared to be almost a running start on the water, he finally leapt into the air.

Sokka was ecstatic. "He's flying! He's flying!" he exclaimed. Katara smirked. Sokka quickly sobered up. "I mean- er- big deal. He's flying" Nevertheless, he still leaned over the edge of the saddle and stared in wonder at the icy landscape unfolded beneath the.

* * *

"Aang's the name, is it?" the girl asked. "I'm afraid we were never properly introduced. I'm Azula, daughter of Prince Ozai, granddaughter of Firelord Azulon, and the niece of Heir Presumptive, Prince Iroh. The oaf you saw earlier is my brother, Zuko" As she said this she circled him, always keeping herself between him and the door. Aang tried to stall for time. "Why do you want me anyway," he asked, "I never did anything to you; I have no idea what this whole war is about. I just hear about it yesterday." The girl laughed. "Oh foolish boy. You know, for an Avatar, you seem so naive. Do you really think that matters? Do you really think my father cares whether you did anything to us?" She shook her head. "You're nothing but a pawn, Avatar, a pawn in a bigger game than you realize."

As she said this, she stepped closer. Thinking quickly, Aang saw an opening. The girl- Azula, apparently, was speaking again. "Now why don't you be a good boy and give me the sta-" And at that, Aang swung his staff, bending the air behind the table next to Azula. With a grunt, the table slammed into her, pinning her against the wall for a moment. Before the table even hit her, Aang bolted to the door, hurriedly turning the latch and bolting into the corridor.

Aang ran down the corridor and up a flight of stair into the conning tower. Not bothering to use the ladder to get up, he merely pushed himself up with a blast of air that propelled him onto the bridge, Azula pursuing him from behind. Not looking to either side, and therefore not even noticing Zuko and the Helmsman, Aang smashed the window in front of him with a jet of air and jumped out the window, opening his glider.

He soared for a fraction of a second, then began to sink. Looking behind him, he saw Azula had grabbed onto his leg. The two fell to the deck with a crash, as Zuko sprinted out of the conning tower and onto the deck. Azula leaps back to her feat, shooting a fireball at Aang, who rolls to dodge it, jumping to his feet and assuming a fighting stance as he does so. He looks uncertainly at Azula and Zuko, as behind them Lo and Li stand, watching. Just as they are about to fight, however, a growl sounds from above. Aang turns. "Appa!" he exclaims.

Appa landed on the deck with Sokka and Katara on his back. Aang turns to them for a moment, and in the split second his attention is divided Azula shoots a jet of fire at Aang, who deflects it with his staff in the nick of time. This leaves him off-balance while Zuko shot his own fireball at him, which Katara, jumping of Appa, blocked with a block of ice. Azula fired a blast of fire at Katara in retaliation. Aang then deflected the fireball with his staff, running toward Azula with airbending to propel him and swinging his staff in a wide arc blowing a wide arc of air towards both Zuko and Azula, throwing them back. Aang and Katara then ran back towards Appa.

Zuko was the first to jump to his feet, with Azula only a split second behind him. They both fired: Azula at Katara, Zuko at Aang. Aang jumped out of the way of Zuko's fireball, twirling his staff to block Azula's. The force of Azula's fireball threw him backwards, as he hit the deck once, twice, and then tumbled over the edge, into the icy Antarctic sea.

"Aang!" Katara shouted. "The Avatar!" Azula exclaimed, horrified that they might lose their target.

Aang sank beneath the water, knocked half-unconscious by the force of the impact. Dimly he opened his eyes, the light from the surface dimming as he sank deeper and deeper. Suddenly, his eyes and tattoos began to glow. He steadied himself in the water, and began to rise. He broke the surface atop a massive vortex of water, towering over the ship. As Zuko and Azula looked on in horror, Aang descended to the deck, surrounded by a bubble of water. With a wave of his hands, the bubble expanded outwards, knocking Zuko, Azula, and the Fire Nation soldiers back. Azula was knocked off the deck, and Zuko appeared to slump, momentarily unconscious.

"Now _that _was some waterbending!" Sokka exclaimed, as Aang slumped in exhaustion. "Aang, are you alright," Katara asked. "I dropped my staff," was his weak response. Sokka ran to get it. However, as he pulled it, a hand grabbed it. Azula held onto it, an expression of pure hatred on her face. He shook the staff violently, finally shaking her off. She grabbed onto the chain of the anchor instead, allowing Sokka to run to Appa.

Zuko stirred, finally rising and assuming a fighting stance. Katara, not wasting any time, motioned with her hands, as a steady stream of water shout out at Zuko, freezing as it covered him, encasing him in ice. Katara and Sokka ran to Appa, who Aang had already climbed onto. As Azula climbed back onto the deck, Appa gave a great push and rose into the air.

Azula stood absolutely still. From Appa, they could see her slowly rotate one arm, a sort of electric crackling in the air. "What's she doing?" Sokka asked. "I don't know," Katara said, "But I don't like it." Azula seemed to finish her motion, and then raised her hand-

And with a loud _bang! _An explosion in her face threw Azula backwards. She hit the deck, hard, and slid a few feet.

Katara, seeing the opportunity, motioned with her hands, and the entire side of the glacier collapsed onto the deck of the Fire Navy ship, as Appa flew away with Aang, Katara, and Sokka on his back. The Fire Navy ship receded into the distance, as they flew higher and higher over the cold, ice-choked Antarctic seas.

* * *

Azula picked herself off the ground, gazing in silent fury at the avalanche which had covered the deck of the ship. She glanced back at Zuko, who, though frozen, appeared to have just the ghost of a smile on his lips. "One word, Zuzu," Azula warned, her fist clenching. "Didn't Lo and Li tell you you weren't ready for lightning?" Azula snorted. "Well, I can't say I'd exchange our positions, Zuzu; in case you haven't noticed, _I'm _not the one trying to thaw my way out of a block of ice." Zuko tilted his head to the side, acknowledging the hit. Still, it wasn't every day that he got to rib his sister.

Lo and Li stepped out of the conning tower. "Is it over?" one of them, perhaps Li, asked. The other, maybe Lo, shook her head. "That was sloppy work, Azula," she said, "Not your best. Not your best by far." Azula scowled. She turned to the Fire navy sailors on the deck. "Well, don't just stand there; get the ship cleaned up." She thought for a moment. "Helmsman," she called up, "When they're done cleaning up, set a course for the Shanyu Base; the commander there is someone who can be trusted to keep his mouth shut."

A shadow fell over her face. "You bested us once, Avatar," she muttered, "But that was beginner's luck. We won't underestimate you next time."

* * *

Appa soared over the ocean, the sun finally beginning to set as they reached higher latitude. Aang sat at the rim of Appa's saddle, while Katara and Sokka sat at the back. "How did you do that, with the water? It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Katara exclaimed. Aang shifted in his seat, looking downcast. "I don't know," he said truthfully, "I just kinda did it."

"But why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" Katara asked. "Because..." Aang began, looking sadly at the horizon, "I never wanted to be."

"But Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to being an end to this war!"

"How am I supposed to do that?" Aang asked, still downcast.

Katara considered it for a moment. "Well, the Avatar's supposed to master all four elements; air, water, earth, and fire. I'm a waterbender, so I can teach you what I know, and we can head to the North Pole to find you a real master." Aang brightened. "We can learn it together!" he said. Katara paused. "Well, the Northern Water tribe doesn't let women learn waterbending. But I'm sure they'd make an exception for the Avatar."

"And I'm sure you'll get to knock some Firbender heads along the way," she continued, turning to face Sokka. "I'd like that," he said, leaning back in the saddle with his hands behind his head. "Then we're in this together!" Aang said.

He paused. "But first we have some serious business to attend to," he said, pulling out a map. "Here, here, and here," he said, indicating three points on the map. "What's that?" Katara asked. Aang pointed to a location in the Earth Kingdom. "Here, we'll ride the hopping llamas." He said. He pointed to a location in Air Nomad territory "Then waaay over here, we'll surf on the backs of giant koi fish," he continued. Katara and Sokka stared at him in wonder. "Then back over here, we'll ride the hog monkeys." Aang said, not noticing, "They don't like people riding them, but that's what makes it fun!"

Aang grinned as he went on enthusiastically about their future adventures, as Appa continued to soar through the sky, and sunbeams broke through the clouds behind them...

* * *

It's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Sorry for the long delay; life intervened. Please, review! It would make little Meelo so happy!If you need to, phone in a review to the United Daily News. The number is (282)-827-2264


	4. Chapter 3, The Southern Air Temple

Chapter 3, the Southern Air Temple

Dawn broke over the Patola Mountains with a blanket of golden sunlight bathing everything in an amber glow. The light danced on the waves of the Gan-Lan Sea below, the sky above devoid of cloud. On the shore, at the foot of the mountains, as Appa slept, Aang and Katara broke camp. Aang was a portrait of excitement, while Katara was more cautious.  
"You're gonna love the Southern Air Temple, Katara!" he said, practically jumping up and down with excitement. Katara frowned, not sure what to tell him.

"Aang, I know you're excited," she began, cautiously, "But you might find things aren't the way they were when you were last there."

Aang smiled, practically skipping, "But that's _why _I'm so excited!"

"Alright," Katara said, "But a lot can change in a hundred years."  
But Aang, apparently not listening, was already trying to wake Sokka up. Not responding, Sokka rolled over in his sleeping bag. At this point, Appa stirred, lumbering over. At this point Aang was prodding Sokka with his staff, as Sokka resolutely ignored him. This valiant attempt not to get up, however, was cut short by Appa, who licked Sokka with his massive tongue. Crying out in disgust, Sokka clambered out of his bison saliva-covered sleeping bag. "Good, you're awake; let's go!" Aang said, already having climbed onto Appa's back. Muttering under his breath, Sokka obliged, throwing his sleeping bag over the edge of Appa's saddle, not bothering to roll it up. Appa pushed off from the ground, and they were in the air.

* * *

The damaged ship limped into port. Azula and Zuko walked down the gangplank onto the dock, where Fire Navy sailors bustled about. Azula strode confidently up to one of them. "We need to see Captain Zhao," she said without preamble.

"He's already here, Princess Azula," a voice behind them said. They turned to see a man of middling height, with large sideburns. "And Prince Zuko, I see." Zhao looked at the damage to their ship, walking towards it. "Well, well, well, what happened here?" He put his hand on the hull, right near a large gash left in the hull plates.

Azula glanced around them at the sailors going about their work at the base. "A collision with an iceberg, nothing more. It's a shock it doesn't happen more often." She shot a look at Zuko as he opened his mouth to say something. _Not here, _the look said. "While we were here, I thought we might discuss a few matters of some importance," she added.

"I'd consider it an honor," Zhao said, bowing. "Please, join me in my office."

* * *

Appa flew low over the Patola Mountains, headed north. Sokka sat at the back of Appa's saddle, while Katara and Aang sat on Appa's head. Suddenly, Sokka began digging through the bags. "Hey, who ate all the blubbered seal jerky?" he asked. Katara rolled her eyes.

"You hid it, remember? After Aang nearly used it to start the campfire last night?" Katara said. Behind her, Sokka began digging through the bags that contained their supplies. Ignoring him, she turned to Aang. "Aang, before we got there, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What?" Aang asked, still excited to finally return home.

"Well, I wanted to talk about the Airbenders," she said cautiously.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked, confused.

"Well, it's just that nobody's seen them in a hundred years. And- well the Firebenders are ruthless. They killed our mother, and-" she paused, not sure how to say this "they may well have done the same to your people."

Aang thought about this for a moment. He shrugged. "Well, just because nobody's seen an Airbender in a hundred years doesn't mean they're all gone. They probably escaped.

"Aang-" Katara began, but Aang interrupted her cheerfully.

"No, it's not that I'm blind to facts, but the only way to get to an Air Temple is by a Flying Bison, and the Fire Nation doesn't have any. Don't they buddy?" And he rubbed behind Appa's ear, as he growled low.

Just then, the temple came into view. Atop one of the highest peaks in the mountains, the Temple was a collection of buildings, all built into the sides of the mountain, which itself had been eroded until it was like a massive tower. A path leading from the flat landing pad where the flying bison would land wound its way up to the main part of the temple. In the chill air snow lay on the ground.

"There it is!" Aang shouted. Sokka and Katara stared in wonder. He smiled, looking down at Appa. "We're home, buddy," he murmured in his ear.

* * *

Zhao led them into a large, black tent, where a subordinate was already pouring tea. Zuko looked around at the maps that adorned the walls of the tent. "Please, sit," he said, indicating the two chairs in front of his desk. "So, to what do I owe this honor?"

"We would like you to pass a message on to father," Azula said.

"Really?" Zhao asked with eloquent surprise, "And what might that be?"

"Tell him that wild mongeese are all well and good, but we have something more substantial to chase now," Azula said with a raised eyebrow.

Zhao appeared to understand the significance of this. He motioned to the two guards at the door to his tent. "Leave us." He leaned forward. "So you've found him. The Avatar is alive."

"Yes," Zuko replied. "He was the one who damaged the ship." He paused. "And he's a child."

"Really?" Zhao said. "Yet he did that much damage? How on earth does he manage that?"

"No idea," Zuko replied acidly. "I suppose being master of all four elements comes with its perks. All that matters is that he's alive, and now that he knows about the War, he is the greatest threat to the Fire Nation out there"

"We'd like to keep this under wraps, of course," Azula added. "Hopefully we can contain the situation before it becomes serious. This is a delicate situation, and the more people know about him, the more difficult it will be to catch him; after all, you don't send an army to catch a tigerdillo."

"Well, I'm honored to know that you consider it worth letting me know," Zhao said sardonically. "I assume this has to do with more than a personal liking for me as a person."

"Like Azula said, father says he can trust you," Zuko said, "We'd prefer, of course, that for the moment this information stops at Father, and that the decision whether or not to tell Firelord Azulon be left to his discretion."

"Well, if I hear anything, you two will be the first to know," Zhao said, fingers steepled. "Your ship should be ready to set sail tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Would you like to spend the night here or on your ship?"

"We wouldn't want to impose on your hospitality, Commander," Azula said, "We'll sleep on our ship.

"Suit yourselves," Zhao said simply, leading them out of his office.

* * *

They walked through the abandoned temple compound, Aang pointing out features of it as they walked. Everything was eerily quiet, the temple deserted, almost devoid of life. Katara looked around her, gazing at the forlornly vacant windows and the overgrown buildings. Somewhere along the way, Sokka stopped to look at something, and appeared to bend down and pocket it, but he didn't say anything.

Aang sighed. "This place used to be full of life. There were people all over the place, and bison coming and going, and lemurs flying around. Now there's just a bunch of weeds. I can't believe so much has changed."

They walked silently for a few minutes, Katara and Sokka unable to come up with a response to this. Suddenly, Sokka hears a noise. "What's that," he asked, as a bush shuddered. He pulled out his club. He slowly stepped forward. Out of the bush popped a-

"Lemur!" Aang shouted, running towards it. The lemur, startled, gave a running start and jumped up in the air, spreading its wings. The lemur flew off, Aang in hot pursuit, Sokka and Katara following. "Come back, little guy!" Aang shouted.

The three of them and a lemur bolted up the stairs and through an open hallway. They turned left, through a partially collapsed corridor, and along a long winding path that led to the tower at the center of the temple. Ignoring the path, Aang bent the air below him, jumping over the overgrown bushes that lined the path. Katara and Sokka followed suit, clambering through the bushes, following Aang up to the top of the mountain. From there Aang chased after the lemur as it flew through a grand hall. Finally, the lemur came to a stop at the end of the hall, cornered. It took a few tentative steps towards Aang, and, finding him trustworthy, licked his hand.

Sokka came to a stop, panting. He looked up at the end of the hall. It ended with a great door, twice the height of a person, which was adorned with strange, elaborate circle of curling, winding pipes, with three strange, snail shell-shaped devices.

"What's that?" he asked. He and Katara approached the door, level with Aang, who was holding the lemur in his arms, the lemur purring softly. All three of them stared up at the door.

"That's the door to the temple sanctuary," Aang explained. He paused. "Monk Gyatso- one of my mentors in the temple- told me that I would find something that would help me understand my role as the Avatar in there." He thought for a moment. "Maybe whatever it is is still in there!"

Sokka walked over to the door and pushed. It wouldn't move. "Anyone got a key?" He said sardonically.

"The key, Sokka, is airbending," Aang said. He stepped forward. He thrust his arms forwards, sending a current of air into each of the tubes at the bottom of the circle. The air twisted and turned through the piped, coming out of each with a sound like a horn. The three smaller circles of pipes turn, showing their other side. Finally, the door began to open.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka stepped into the dark room. Despite the semidarkness, somehow the room managed to without sight convey a sense of immensity. Slowly, their eyes adjusted to the dark. They saw that the room was full of statues, statues of many different people, of all nations, each completely strange to the three of them yet, to Aang, conveying the strangest sense of familiarity, as if each one were someone he met as a very young child and never since.

"Who are all these people?" Sokka asked, walking up to one, a tall woman wearing clothing common in the Lu Shao provinces of the northeastern Earth Kingdom.

"I'm not sure," Aang said, though truthfully each one seemed like an old friend long since forgotten. He paused. "Look! That one's an airbender!" He pointed to a severe-looking woman with a partially shaved head and traditional airbender tattoos.

"Who is she?" Katara asked, examining a statue of a grinning waterbender man with three ponytails.

The knowledge, unbidden, from some strange recess of Aang's mind. "That's Avatar Yangchen, the last airbender Avatar before me." He started, unsure as to how he knew this.

"They're all in a pattern," Katara observed, "Air, Water, Earth, Fire." She pointed to the airbending Avatar- Yangchen, apparently, then to the waterbending Avatar (the name Kuruk pushed itself to the top of Aang's mind), then to an earthbending and firebending Avatar.

"That's the Avatar cycle," Aang explained, all of this somehow clicking in his mind.

The same thought apparently occurred to Katara. "They're Avatars; they're your past lives!"

Sokka scoffed. "Past lives? Katara, you don't actually believe all that mumbo-jumbo, do you?"

"It's true," Katara insisted. "When the Avatar dies he is reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle." She paused. "I guess the Avatar before him was a firebender"

"A firebender?" Sokka asked, "No wonder I didn't trust you, Aang." He looked at the past Avatar, a tall man with a long beard. "Who is he, anyway?"

Almost instinctively the name came to him. "That's Avatar Roku," Aang said. He frowned. "It's so weird. I don't even know how I know all this." He sighed. "I thought this would clear things up, but now I'm even more confused."

* * *

Azula found Zuko on the top of the conning tower of the ship. He was staring out across the horizon, watching as the sun set. She walked up to him. "You know, brother, sometimes you surprise even me; you managed not only to not embarrass us, but you realized that subtlety was needed.

Zuko didn't respond. Instead, he stood there for a few moments. Finally: "Do you trust Zhao?" Zuko asked.

Azula thought for a moment. "No," she finally said, "But I trust his predictability. Face it: Zhao's a fool. While he's a slimeball, I do trust that his ambition will overwhelm his common sense." She paused. "Why do you ask?"

Zuko wondered how to say what was on his mind. At length, he explained. "It doesn't feel right doing all this behind Grandfather's back, and keeping this secret from Uncle and Lu Ten. I think we should tell them."

"Don't be ridiculous, Zuko," Azula shot back. "You know what Father said: let him decide what to do with the knowledge of the whereabouts of the Avatar. Personally I trust dad to handle it more effectively than either Lu Ten or Uncle."

"But what about Grandfather?" Zuko asked, "Why don't we tell him?"

"Because, Zuzu," Azula replied testily, "Grandfather at this point is far from the man he once was. He may once have dueled with the Earth Kingdom's finest, but he's ancient; from what Dad says his mind is going. Dad runs the day-to-day business back home because Uncle won't and Grandfather can't." She paused. "You know, Grandfather never named an heir. That's why Uncle's just 'Heir Presumptive,' not 'Heir Apparent.' Dad could still become Firelord instead."

"You're wrong," Zuko said challengingly. "Dad would never do anything like that." he paused. "And neither would I."

Azula shrugged. "Whatever you say. You know, personally I think we should have a Firelord who doesn't need on-the-job training. And since Dad's doing all the work..." she trailed off. She turned. "Well, good night, Zuzu," she said, as she descended down the stairs.

* * *

The exited the sanctuary in silence. They walked for a few meters, before Aang stopped to play with the lemur. Taking this opportunity, Sokka pulled Katara aside. He led her over to a window.

"Katara, I need you to see this," he said, pulling something out of his pocket. So, she was going to find out what he pocketed earlier. In his hand was a black metal gauntlet with a small Fire Nation emblem on it. "We need to tell him," Sokka said.

"No, Sokka," Katara said, "If he found out the Fire Nation invaded his home he'd be devastated."

"Well, he needs to know," Sokka said, "You can't keep sheltering him from the truth."

"Come on!" Aang called from the doorway outside, and they followed him.

They walked along the path that they had followed earlier, finally coming to a stop. Aang stood in front of a statue of a kindly-looking old man with airbending tattoos. He was seated lotus-style on a pedestal, with a benevolent smile on his face. Katara indicated the statue. "Who's that?" she asked.

"That's Monk Gyatso," Aang explained, "the greatest airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know." He stood at the statue, lost in thought.

_A much younger Aang stood uncertainly at the spinning gates, Gyatso kneeling down to him. The younger Aang pointed to the gates. "What do I do with those?" he asked. _

_Gyatso smiled. "This is one of your first lessons, Aang. As an airbender, you must adapt to the world around you. Rather than smash through an obstacle, you must learn to think your way through a problem. I'm going to spin the gates and you'll have to get to the other side without touching the gates. The key is to 'be the leaf,' as it were. " He entered an airbending stance and thrust his hands out, as a gust of wind spun the gates. He held out a leaf, which he released. The leaf spun and twirled as it passed effortlessly through the gates. Aang ran around to the other side and jumped to catch the leaf_

_Aang grinned. "Let's do it!" he said. _

_Gyatso repeated the airbending stance, and a great gust of wind blew through the gates. They began to spin rapidly. Aang grinned, the tip of his tongue sticking out, and sprinted towards the gates. With a shout he ran, arms waving, at the gates. Inside, he managed to get two meters, before he saw a gate rapidly spin towards him and, almost in slow motion, slam into his face. He was flung backwards, and ejected from the gates. He was thrown back a meter or two, and looked up, the world spinning around him, at Gyatso. Gyatso held out a hand, which a dazed Aang grabbed, and helped Aang up._

_"Perhaps another try," Gyatso said dryly, and Aang laughed. He hugged his mentor's legs. He smiled up at him. _

_"Gyatso, we're always gonna be friends, right?" Aang said, looking up at him. _

_Gyatso smiled. "Yes, Aang. Always."_

Aang stood in front of the statue, lost in memory. "Always," he said to himself. Het turned, motioning for Katara and Sokka to follow. "Come on," he said, "I want to check something out." Maybe Gyatso left a message that would explain what happened.

They walked down a long, winding stair, towards the lower end of the temple. They walked across a large courtyard near the bison landing pad. They approached a half-ruined building with a canvass roof, which drooped down in places and was torn in others. "This was Gyatso's dojo," Aang explained, "He might have left something to explain what had happened." Tentatively, not sure what to say, Sokka and Katara followed.

They entered the building, Aang pushing the canvas out of the way. The first section was clear, nothing but rubble around it. The second-

The space was littered with the bodies of Fire Nation soldiers. Helmets and parts of armor were strewn about the floor. And at the head of the room, lying dead atop a pile of rubble, was-

"Gyatso," Aang murmured, falling to his knees and burying his face in his hands. So it was true. The Fire Nation _had _come here, and they had destroyed everything. They had killed everyone Aang cared about, destroyed the Air Nomads. Yet it made no sense; only days before, Aang had been playing Paisho with Gyatso. Only days ago the temple had been full of life, with thousands of monks and acolytes.

_The Fire Nation had done this. The Fire Nation had destroyed everything Aang loved, everything Aang held dear._

Rage and grief and anger swirled inside him as his vision turned red. Suddenly' he felt an immense power well up from within him. He felt infinitely powerful, immensely wise. The energy that welled up from within swirled around, and was released. His awareness dimmed, and his sense of place, of time, and of who he was and what he was doing diminished.

In the Air Temple Sanctuary the eyes of the statues of Avatars past began to glow; first Roku, then the other Avatars, one by one.

In the Northern Water tribe, two tribal elders passed by the Avatar Temple as the roof began to glow. They stared as a beam of light split the night sky in half

In the Earth Kingdom, a local holy man praying before the icons of Avatars past was thrust out of his meditation as the eyes of the Avatars in the mural began to glow.

In the Fire Nation, the Fire Temple Sanctuary was filled with white light. One of the Fire Sages turned to the other/ "Send word to the Firelord," he said urgently. "The Avatar has returned."

Katara and Sokka watched as the tattoos on Aang's arms and legs and his eyes began to glow. The air swirled around him, and immense whirlwind surrounding him. He rose off the ground, a sphere of air surrounding him, made visible by the dust kicked up. Rocks and canvas swirled around him as the force of the winds blew over the walls of the building. Armor and bits of rubble were thrown like pebbles all around them, and Sokka and Katara struggled to cling to solid ground and not be thrown themselves.

"It's the Avatar Spirit!" Katara shouted, trying to be heard over the din, "finding out the Firebenders killed Gyatso must have triggered it! I'll try and calm him down!"

"Yes, do it before he blows the whole mountain down!" Sokka shouted

Katara pulled her way over to him, struggling to move against the current of air. "Aang!" she shouted. "I know this must be horrible, and I know you're upset! I know; I felt the same way after the Fire Nation killed my Mom! Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family! Sokka and I; we're your family now!"

The winds diminished, and Aang sank back down to the ground. The glow in his tattoos and eyes faded, and he slumped over, exhausted and grief-stricken. Katara and Sokka walked up to him. Sokka put a hand on his shoulder.

"We won't let anything happen to you, buddy," he said.

Aang turned to Katara. "I'm sorry," he said.

Katara hugged him. "It's okay; you didn't mean to."

"But if the Firebenders reached this temple, that means they reached the other ones," Aang said. His shoulders slumped. "I really am the last airbender."

* * *

The ship had been repaired, and they were ready to leave. Zuko stood at the bow of the ship, waiting for Azula. She said she had business with Commander Zhao, but wouldn't say what. From his vantage point, Zuko saw Azula step out of Zhao's tent, Zhao in tow. Zhao turned and, from a distance, looked in Zuko's direction. Zuko glared. Finally, Zhao and Azula parted. She stepped onto the gangplank, and the ship pulled out of the harbor.

"What was that about?" Zuko asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," Azula said airily. "Really, Zuko, you shouldn't be so sullen," she continued. "We're on his trail. The Avatar. Zhao has agreed to pass on all intelligence he receives to us. With the resources we have, he can't hide from us."

"If you say so," Zuko said, turning. He walked over to the conning tower and into the ship's interior.

* * *

Aang sat at the edge of the Bison landing pad as Katara and Sokka loaded up their gear onto Appa.

"Everything's packed," Katara said, "we're ready to go."

Aang turned to Katara. "How are the past Avatars supposed to help me if I can't contact them?" he asked.  
"I'm sure you'll find a way," Katara said reassuringly.

Behind them, Sokka was munching happily on the pile of fruit the lemur had brought to them, the lemur happily perched on Sokka's shoulder. "Looks like you've found a friend," Aang said.

"What are you gonna name him?" Katara asked.

Aang thought for a moment, and watched as the lemur snatched a moon peach out of Sokka's hand. "Momo," he answered.

The three laughed, and climbed onto Appa.

Aang watched as the temple receded into the distance. "The three of us are all that's left of this place," he said softly to Appa and Momo, "We gotta stick together." He watched as the temple continued to recede, finally completely obscured by the clouds, the last thing connecting Aang to the past, gone. He turned, and watched the sun begin to set as they flew off, across the sea.

* * *

Well, that wasn't a long wait, was it? I don't think there'll be any schedule more specific than "when they get finished" to when I publish new chapters.

An author's note: Azula and Zuko have only been sailing for eight months in this story. I assume an extra sixteen months in the Fire Nation would mean Zuko learns _something_ of tact, _and_ politicking. He's not as impulsive or angry in this story. If anything, he's more like his self in season three; he understands that they're running around Azulon, Iroh, and Lu Ten's backs, and he doesn't like it. To say his loyalties are conflicted is an understatement. He knows Azula's right, in his heart of hearts, but he doesn't want to accept that his father may be planning treason. And yes, you heard it correct; Azulon isn't in the "picture of health" he was even a short few years earlier. By the way, another thing: Princess Ursa was never banished in this world. You may see the effects of this later in the story, in ways you may not expect.

Well, anyway, and I say this every story: please, review! I'll owe you a bushel of apples in return if you do! Mail it to my apartment at 2864 Enduring Harmony Avenue, PO Box 2264, Docklands, Republic City, 56772


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